Taroudant

{{Short description|City in Souss-Massa, Morocco}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Taroudant | other_name = | native_name = {{native name|ar|تارودانت}} {{native name|ber|ⵜⴰⵔⵓⴷⴰⵏⵜ}} | settlement_type = | imagesize = 280px | image_caption = Taroudant | pushpin_map = Morocco#Africa | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_label_position = bottom | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a = | photo2a = | photo2b = | photo3a = Al Kassbah, Taroudant, Morocco - panoramio.jpg | size = 275 | spacing = 2 | color = transparent | border = 0 }} | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Morocco | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Morocco | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Souss-Massa | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = Taroudant | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_title =  | established_date = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 =  | area_land_km2 =  | population_as_of = 2014 | population_footnotes = <ref name=census2014>{{cite web |url=http://rgph2014.hcp.ma/file/166326/ |title=Population légale des régions, provinces, préfectures, municipalités, arrondissements et communes du royaume d'après les résultats du rgph 2014 |language=ar, fr |publisher=High Commission for Planning, Morocco |date=8 April 2015 |access-date=29 September 2017}}</ref> | population_note = | population_total = 80149 | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_demonym = Roudani | timezone = WET | utc_offset = +0 | timezone_DST = WEST | utc_offset_DST = +1 | coordinates = {{coord|30|28|15.59|N|8|52|50.16|W|region:MA|display=inline}} | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m = 238 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 83000 | area_code = }} '''Taroudant''' ({{langx|ar|تارودانت|Tarudant}}, {{IPA|ar|taːruːdaːnt|}}) is a city in the Sous in southwestern Morocco. It is situated east of Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south of Marrakesh. Today, it is a small market town and a tourist destination.<ref name="Eye" /><ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1= |first1= |date=27 October 2018 |title=Marrakech's Taroudant: A Small Town Full of History and Charm |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/10/256253/marrakech-taroudant-small-town-history-charm/ |accessdate=17 November 2019 |website=Morocco World News}}</ref>

==History== [[File:TAROUDANNT defensive wall (js).jpg|thumb|left|The city walls of the historic medina]] === Ancient period === It has been speculated that Taroudant is the same town known as Vala or Uala, which existed in ancient Mauretania.<ref name="historical">{{Cite book |title=Historical Dictionary of Morocco |author1=Omar Boum |date=2 June 2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |page=458 |language=en |author2=Thomas Park }}</ref>

=== Medieval period === The Almoravids occupied the town in 1056.<ref name="Eye">{{cite book|title=Morocco|year=2006|publisher=Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley|page=288}}</ref> In the mid-15th century the Banu Zaydan, the family who later founded the Saadi dynasty, established themselves near Taroudant in a settlement called Tidsi, which served briefly as the base of the dynasty's first leader, al-Qa'im, until 1513.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last=Deverdun |first=Gaston |title=Marrakech: Des origines à 1912 |publisher=Éditions Techniques Nord-Africaines |year=1959 |location=Rabat |pages=350 |language=fr}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite book |last=Abun-Nasr |first=Jamil |title=A history of the Maghrib in the Islamic period |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1987 |isbn=0-521-33767-4 |location=Cambridge |pages=210 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Boum |first=Aomar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glgzDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA432 |title=Historical Dictionary of Morocco |last2=Park |first2=Thomas K. |date= |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4422-6297-3 |pages=432 |language=en |chapter=Sa'dian dynasty}}</ref> According to Moroccan news media, the current layout of the city walls dates to the Saadi period in the 16th century.<ref name=":0" />

In the 17th century, Taroudant was the base of Sidi Yahya, a local chieftain who successfully aided the Saadi sultan Moulay Zaydan against Abu Mahalli, a rebel who had captured Marrakesh.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Boum |first=Aomar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glgzDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA432 |title=Historical Dictionary of Morocco |last2=Park |first2=Thomas K. |date= |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4422-6297-3 |pages=458 |language=en |chapter=Taroudant}}</ref>

The city underwent economic decline after the port of Agadir was closed to commerce in 1760.<ref name=":1" /> In the late 19th century, Sultan Hassan I established more secure control of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century, it resisted government control again until ''qa'id'' Tayyeb al-Goundafi restored order in 1903.<ref name=":1" /> When France began to impose its protectorate on Morocco in 1912, Ahmed al-Hiba used Taroudant as his capital to resist the French. The French only established control over it in 1917.<ref name=":1" />

Historically, there was a Jewish community in Taroudant, believed to have been established in the 11th century. Jews made up 10% of the city's population, and mainly engaged in the caravan trade.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discover Morocco’s Berber Jewish Past |url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/discover-moroccos-berber-jewish-past/#:~:text=The%20Jewish%20presence%20in%20this,role%20in%20the%20city's%20economy. |website=The Times of Israel |access-date=6 June 2024}}</ref> Moses ben Maimon Albas was a prominent Jewish Kabbalist from Taroudant.<ref>{{cite web |title=Albaz, Moses Ben Maimon |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/albaz-moses-ben-maimon |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=18 June 2024}}</ref>

== Climate == On 11 August 2023, a maximum temperature of {{convert|48.0|C|1}} was registered.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=60253&ano=2023&mes=9&day=1&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30|title=60253: Taroudant (Morocco) |author= |date=11 August 2023 |website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET|access-date=10 July 2024 }}</ref>{{Relevance inline|date=May 2024|reason=What does this represent? Is this a record temperature?}}

== Economy == Today, Taroudant is a notable market town with a souk near each of its two main squares, Assarag and Talmoklate. There is also a weekly souk outside the city walls, near the future university district.<ref name="Eye" />

== Landmarks == The medina (historic quarter) of Taroudant is classified as a national cultural heritage monument of Morocco.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Médina de Taroudannt |url=http://idpc.ma/view/pc_architecture/sanae:280019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117114604/http://idpc.ma/view/pc_architecture/sanae:280019 |archive-date=2019-11-17 |access-date=2019-11-17 |website=Inventaire du patrimoine culturel du Maroc |language=fr}}</ref> Its historic city walls are around {{convert|6|km}}<ref name="Eye" /> or {{convert|8|km}}<ref name=":0" /> long and are set with bastions and punctuated by nine gates that are still in use.<ref name="Eye" />

==Notable people== *Sana Akroud (born 1980), actress, filmmaker, screenwriter, film producer *Moses ben Maimon Albas (16th century), kabbalist *Ahmed Soultan, singer *Claudio Bravo, painter

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Taroudant}} {{Wikivoyage|Taroudannt}} *[http://www.taroudannt-province.com/ Official web site of Taroudant Province]

{{Coord|30|28|15.59|N|8|52|50.16|W|region:MA_type:city|display=title}} {{Souss-Massa}} {{Taroudant Province}} {{Authority control}} Category:Municipalities of Morocco Taroudant Category:Taroudant